Atlanta Braves’ Team in Rome Looks Deep and Talented In Opening Series Sweep

The Rome Braves picked right back up where they left off last fall with an opening series sweep at West Virginia over the weekend.

Rome (4-0) won the South Atlantic League title in 2016, and was named Baseball America’s Minor League Team of the Year, but on the farm, teams get disbanded by design each season.  Nonetheless, the Atlanta Braves left them in good hands.

Speaking to manager Randy Ingle at the Rome Braves Hot Stove Gathering, he seemed confident he’d have a good roster come April, but young talent is often a “wait and see” situation. What we’ve seen so far should please the Braves organization.

The Rome Braves clearly came into the season game-ready and well prepared for live competition straight out of spring training, sweeping the West Virginia Power in a four game opening series.

Wins at the low-A minor league level can be deceptive as players worth through the development process, but Rome pulled off wins through their first four games with such variety that tangible flashes of talent and substantial depth were evident.

More from Tomahawk Take

• Show the bullpen some love
• Braves News: Atlanta’s left field situation, Dansby negotiations, more
• Alex Anthopoulos discusses the Atlanta Braves payroll, rotation, Grissom, Swanson, Acuña, and more
• Braves News: Braves 2023 rotation speculation, Correa deal on hold, more
• Atlanta Braves: Current Left Field Mix

The Braves opener at West Virginia was delayed by wet weather, leading to Rome sweeping a doubleheader Friday in a pair of seven-inning games.

In game one, Rome got five solid innings from starter Bryse Wilson, who gave up no runs on only one hit, and struck out five batters with no walks.

Wilson got three runs from the offense, all in the sixth inning, and was credited with a 3-0 win after reliever Jon Kennedy threw a pair of scoreless, hitless innings to close out the game with a save.

Rome’s offensive support came off the bats of Juan Yepez and Lucas Herbert. Yepez started what would be a red-hot weekend by driving in a pair of runs, going 2-for-3 with a double and a homer.

In the same evening, Rome would be back at it, picking up a 3-2 seven inning win for the double header sweep, thanks in part to another Yepez RBI. This time Christian Pache got in on the action, driving in a run of his own.

Oriel Caicedo had a solid first outing of the season in game two, giving up one run on four hits, and striking out four in 3.2 innings. Ryan Lawlor picked up the win in 1.1 innings of middle relief, while Brandon White picked up the save.

In their third game in less than 24 hours, Rome played a rare Saturday afternoon game and let the bats do the talking in an 8-3 win over the Power.

Jeremy Walker got the start for the Braves in game three, and gave up a run in the third and two in the fourth, but Rome’s offense and another solid bullpen performance bailed him out.

Yepez picked up another hit, an RBI and a run in the game to stay red-hot on the season, and Anthony Concepcion got in on the action with a fourth inning homer. Concepcion had a 3-for-5 day, driving in a pair of runs and scoring once himself.

Derian Cruz had himself a day Saturday, driving in three runs and scoring once himself. Herbert, Anfernee Seymour and Tanner Murphy each had multi-hit games as part of Rome’s 14-hit total.

Rome got five scoreless innings of relief from the bullpen in Saturday’s game from Thomas Burrows, who picked up with win, Bladimir Matos and Adam McCreery.

The Braves went into Sunday afternoon’s game looking to move to 4-0 and earn their first sweep of the season, and did just that with a 2-1 win in 11 innings.

Getting the start for Rome was one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball in Ian Anderson, and he got off to a shaky start, but recovered nicely as the game went on.

Anderson went 4.2 innings, giving up one run on two hits. He struck out eight batters, and only walked three in his full season professional debut.

One of Rome’s two runs Sunday was manufactured in the third inning on four walks and a wild pitch, and the winning run off the bat of Concepcion in the 11th.

Seymour and Randy Ventura each had a pair of hits in the game. Ventura left with an undisclosed injury after a hard slide into second base with the game already in extra innings.

In the game four win, Rome got another 6.1 innings of scoreless relief from the bullpen. Tucker Davidson struck out three in 1.1 innings, while Matt Custred got in three innings of work. Kennedy ended up with the win, closing out the final two innings of the contest with four strikeouts.

It seems the Rome Braves once again have plenty of arms and plenty of firepower on offense, and may very well be far more polished than the SAL Championship team was this time last season.

Next: Why Can’t I See The Atlanta Braves High-A Team?!

At 4-0 and tied with Columbia for first place in the South Atlantic League’s Southern Division, Rome heads to Kannapolis for a three game set before returning to State Mutual Stadium on the 13th for their home opener against Charleston.